English Language Writing Skills

By Danso Kwasi Nti Samuel (DAS). Study the complete course source, examine every model and practise alongside Professor Jarvis.

Course printed page 486 PDF page 492 of 505

For tables, matching columns, IPA and original formatting, open the course PDF above.

Key Points On Summary Writing

Summary writing is an essential skill that helps students grasp the main ideas of a text and

express them concisely in their own words.

A summary is a shorter version of a longer text. It includes only the most important ideas or

points, leaving out details that are not essential. The goal is to condense the information

while maintaining the meaning of the original text.

Key Points:

   ü A summary should be shorter than the original text.

   ü It should focus on the main ideas.

   ü It is written in your own words (paraphrasing).

   ü It should not include opinions or interpretations—just the facts.

Steps for Writing a Summary

Read the Text Carefully: Before writing a summary, students should carefully read the

text to understand the main ideas and details. Encourage students to read more than once if

needed.

Identify the Main Idea: Ask students to identify the main idea or topic of the text.

This is the key point that the text is talking about. You can guide students to ask themselves:

   ü What is the text mostly about?

   ü What message is the author trying to convey?

Identify Supporting Details: Once students understand the main idea, they need to find
the most important supporting details that help explain or develop the main idea. These
details usually include:

   ü Who or what the text is about (characters or subjects).
   ü The main events, facts, or ideas.
   ü Where and when important events occur (for stories or history-related texts).